The cryptocurrency market may be in turmoil, but today offers a reason to pause and reflect. Exactly 16 years have passed since then Satoshi NakamotoBitcoin's mysterious creator has revealed what is arguably its most defining feature: a maximum supply of 21 million Bitcoins.

This moment in 2009 introduced the world to a system that would change perceptions about money forever. Nakamoto detailed a systematic and limited issuance process, ensuring that the total supply of Bitcoin would never exceed 21 million.

The coins will be distributed to network participants as rewards for validating transactions, with issuance halved every four years. This carefully planned progression – 10.5 million coins in the first four years, halved to 5.25 million in the following years and so on – is designed to taper off until the eventual end. Bitcoin It is extracted sometime around the year 2140.

At that time, Bitcoin had no price. It only existed as an idea, or a digital experience discussed among a small group of enthusiasts.

Fast forward to the present day, and the concept has evolved into a global asset worth approximately $2 trillion. Among Bitcoin's most compelling attributes is its maximum supply — unchangeable and immutable — which makes it an outlier in the world of unlimited fiat currency printing.

However, the theoretical supply and actual traded quantity vary. Satoshi Nakamoto, who disappeared years ago, is believed to have mined around 1 million bitcoins in the early days. These coins were never moved and are considered lost to time.

Likewise, countless other legacy currencies remain inaccessible in forgotten wallets or due to lost keys. While the ledger records approximately 19.8 million Bitcoin In day trading, the job offer is almost certainly lower.